Mar. 22: Things you WON'T Spend Money On

Lots of people talk about the expense of changing your lifestyle to one that is chemical free and healthy. Everyone knows that "healthy food costs more." And if you compare items directly, this is true. Look at a bag of organic apples vs. a bag of chemical-laden fruit. Way more money for the organic stuff.

However, there is another way to look at the situation. Think of the things you WON'T be spending money on anymore:

soda pop

vending machine snacks at work

drive thru meals

non-nutritious beverages

coffee and a bagel on the way to work

packaged foods

just-add-water meals

pizza deliveries

100 calorie packs

potato chips

candy bars

going out to lunch on work days

Starbuck's

This is just a personal list of things that I cut out. Really, it added up to nearly $200 a month. When I applied that money to my organic foods and higher quality meats, I ended up reducing my food bills.

Don't be surprised if you spend a little more initially, but realize it's going to even out very quickly. Also know that it won't take long before you don't even miss the items mentioned above. Now on the occasion that I do go out for dinner, quite often, I'm very satisfied with just an appetizer or soup. Again - it costs far less than what I spent before, based only on the quantity consumed.

If I had all the money in the world, I'd go organic on everything. Because my resources are limited I try to get the most bang for my buck. I tend to choose organic with items in which the skin is eaten, like apples, pears and berries. Things like bananas and kiwi are peeled, so I don't worry as much about those. I buy organic free range meats whenever possible as well. I don't like consuming antibiotics and growth hormones. The "free range" choice is for ethical reasons, because it is something I feel strongly about. Currently I'm forgoing the organic dairy products because I'm using that additional money for a gym membership, but one day soon I hope to go back to the dairy products that are chemical-free.

The decision to purchase organic is very personal. Look at your resources and do your research. Make your decision based on those factors. Make your decision based on information rather than propaganda.